How Can Mattress Firm Afford All Its Stores? Saving Money on Patents?

There are so many Mattress Firm stores everywhere that there are even conspiracy theories about the retailer. However, maybe the company should be investing in patents. Its new competitors are tech innovators including Bryte, Eight Sleep, Kryo, and even Sleep Number, which spend money to develop and patent new mattress technologies. In an era of smart mattresses and e-commerce, can Mattress Firm keep up?

Maybe Mattress Firm has a Plan B. The retailer is partnering with SleepScore Labs to develop a sleep tracking and improvement app. Why? Neither company has a strong patent portfolio — Mattress Firm has three (3) documents for temperature control, while SleepScore Labs does not have any patents of its own. However, all of SleepScore’s technology is powered by ResMed, which has over 40 patent documents covering sensors and data analytics for sleep detection. Where does that put Mattress Firm?

Mattress Firm’s customer base is probably its strongest asset in this partnership given that the company has acquired numerous chains including Sleepy’s and Mattress Barn. However, the retailer is in danger of falling behind without technology development. Another acquisition or partnership may be more efficient than developing internal R&D to give the company more assets after its 2018 bankruptcy filing. The Consumer Sleep Patent Forecast® monitors patent portfolios to predict and assess market movement. Subscribe today!